> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://codifi-fdm.gitbook.io/codifi-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://codifi-fdm.gitbook.io/codifi-docs/mobile-app/capturing-photos-and-media.md).

# Capturing Photos & Media

Codifi mobile lets you attach **photos, videos, sketches, and documents** to Records and to the Project as a whole. Media can come from the in-app camera, your iPad/iPhone's photo library, or a document picker.

This page walks through the four ways to add media and what to expect from each.

***

## Where to Start From

There are three places media capture is initiated:

* **From a Record's media gallery** — open a Record, tap the Media tab, then tap the **+** button. Media you add here is attached to that specific Record.
* **From the map** (Take Photo action) — long-press a Record on the map → **Take Photo** in the more-actions menu. The camera opens as a modal overlay; the photo attaches to the selected Record without leaving the map.
* **From the Project Details (Project Gallery)** — open the Project Details screen, tap the Media tab, then tap **+**. Media added here belongs to the Project as a whole, not to any single Record.

In every case, you'll see the same media-source picker.

> **Screenshot placeholder:** *The media picker sheet showing source options (Camera, Photos, Files, Sketch).*

***

## The Four Media Sources

### Camera

The in-app camera lets you take photos and videos without leaving Codifi.

* **Photo** — tap the shutter button to capture.
* **Video** — switch to video mode, tap the Record button to start, tap again to stop.
* **Burst & multi-capture** — take several photos in a row before tapping Done; they all attach when you're finished.
* **Pinch to zoom**, double-tap to switch front/rear camera.
* **Auto-rotation** — buttons re-orient when you rotate the device, so the controls always feel right-side up (iPhone).

When you take a photo, Codifi captures and embeds:

* GPS coordinates (latitude / longitude / altitude)
* Compass bearing at the moment of capture (the "where am I pointing")
* Image dimensions, EXIF metadata, and timestamp

These travel with the photo and are available later in reports, exports, and on the map (geotagged photos appear as little camera markers).

### Photos (Photo Library)

Picks from your iPad or iPhone's photo library. Use this when:

* You took the photo before opening Codifi (e.g. with the native Camera app)
* You want to attach a screenshot, a scanned document image, or an annotated photo from another tool
* You're attaching a video file too large to record inside Codifi

Multiple selection is supported — tap several thumbnails, then tap **Add**.

### Files (Document Picker)

Picks files from iCloud Drive, On My iPad, or any document provider connected to Files.app — PDFs, DOCX, DWG, KMZ, GeoJSON, etc.

Use this for permits, plans, reference drawings, agency forms, or anything that's not a photo or video. The file is uploaded into Codifi and stays attached to the Record.

### Sketch

Opens the in-app **Sketchpad** — a freehand drawing surface for diagrams, plan sketches, profile drawings, and quick markup. Useful when:

* You need a quick field sketch (a stratigraphic profile, a building elevation, a site plan annotation)
* You want to mark up a photo (open a captured photo in EditSketch and draw on it)

Saved sketches attach to the Record as an image, just like a photo.

***

## Media Sub-Types

Every archetype defines which **media sub-types** it accepts — categories like "Overview Photo," "Profile Drawing," "Artifact Detail," or "Permit Document." When you attach media to a Record, you'll be asked to pick a sub-type.

Sub-types matter because:

* Reports can pull media by sub-type (e.g. *"insert all Profile Photos here"*)
* The Photo Log export groups media by sub-type
* QC reviewers can scan for missing sub-type categories

Sub-types are configured per-archetype in the Library. If your Record's sub-type list looks wrong, talk to the admin who built the Composition.

***

## Choosing Which Fields You See When Uploading

The Save Media sheet that appears when you finish capturing or picking media has up to **eight metadata fields** — Media Subtype, Filename, Title, Caption, Creator, Accessibility Text, Additional Notes, and Bearing. **You control which of those show up for your uploads** from the Project Settings sheet under **Media Upload Configuration → Upload Fields**.

This is a per-user, per-device setting — your toggles don't affect what other teammates see. If you want to capture bearing on every photo, turn Bearing on once and it'll appear for every upload from your iPad. If you don't use Accessibility Text, leave it off and skip past it.

[**→ Configure Upload Fields and other media settings**](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/mobile-project-settings/media-configuration.md#upload-fields)

***

## Media Permissions

Codifi needs three OS-level permissions to capture media. The first time you use each, iOS will prompt you:

| Source          | Permission required                  |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| Camera          | **Camera** access                    |
| Photo Library   | **Photos** access                    |
| Video recording | **Microphone** (for audio in videos) |

If you tapped "Don't Allow" by mistake, fix it from **iOS Settings → Codifi**. Codifi will surface a clear "Permission Needed" message inside the app rather than silently failing.

***

## What Happens to Media Files

Captured media is **saved on the device first**, then uploaded to Codifi's servers when you have connectivity. This means:

* You can capture media offline all day; it syncs when you're back on Wi-Fi or cellular.
* Filenames follow your Project's [File Naming policy](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/mobile-project-settings/media-configuration.md#file-naming) — see that page for how to control the naming pattern.
* Every photo taken with the in-app camera records the **compass bearing** it was shot at, written into the photo's EXIF data. See [Camera Compass & Live Map](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/mapping-locations/camera-compass-and-live-map.md).

For details on how filenames are generated — including custom prefixes, restart-per-Record numbering, and shared sequences across archetypes — see [Media Configuration](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/mobile-project-settings/media-configuration.md#file-naming).

{% hint style="info" %}
**Photos got a lot leaner in v3.3.** A sizing problem on our side had been inflating photo files. They are now roughly **half the size** with no visible difference, which means less to upload in the field and considerably less storage used on the device.

Saving a copy to your iPad's Photo Library is now **off by default**. If you want that personal copy, switch it back on in the camera settings.
{% endhint %}

***

## Deleting Media

As of v3.3 you can remove media from the device without going to the web app. What you are allowed to do depends on whose photo it is and what your role permits.

| Action                                | Who can do it                                     | What happens                                                               |
| ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Delete someone else's photo**       | Anyone with the delete permission for the Project | A soft delete. The photo comes out of the Project but remains recoverable. |
| **Permanently delete your own photo** | The person who took it                            | The file is destroyed and cannot be recovered by anyone, including Codifi. |

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Permanent means permanent.** Destroying your own photo is not a soft delete and there is no undo. If you are not certain, use the ordinary delete instead and let an Administrator clean up later.
{% endhint %}

***

## Tips

* **Take more photos than you think you need.** Codifi is generous with media storage and you can clean up later. Re-creating a photo six months after fieldwork is impossible; deleting a duplicate takes two seconds.
* **Don't forget the bearing.** A photo with a captured compass bearing is far more useful in reports — the camera markers on the map point in the direction the photo was taken.
* **Use Sub-Types consistently.** If your Project has *Overview*, *Profile*, and *Detail* photo sub-types and you tag everything as *Overview*, the Photo Log export becomes useless.
* **For photos that need to follow a strict naming convention** (e.g. agency-prescribed protocols), set up a [File Naming policy](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/mobile-project-settings/media-configuration.md#file-naming) so the filenames build themselves correctly every time.

***

## See Also

* [Media Configuration](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/mobile-project-settings/media-configuration.md) — how filenames are generated
* [Record Auto-Numbering](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/mobile-project-settings/record-auto-numbering.md) — auto-numbered Record names that drive the Project/Record file naming scheme
* [Annotation & Measurement Tools](/codifi-docs/mobile-app/mapping-locations/annotation-and-measurement-tools.md) — drawing on the map (different from sketches in the media gallery)